Terracotta rim fragment of a kylix (drinking cup)
Unknown Artist
510–500 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Dietrich von Bothmer, Distinguished Research Curator, Greek and Roman Art, 2011
Accession Number
2011.604.1.1823
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta rim fragment from kylix, or shallow drinking cup, dates to late Archaic period (510–500 BCE) and hails from Attic Greece, the heartland of ancient Athenian pottery production. Kylixes like this were essential for symposia—lively social gatherings where elite men reclined, drank wine, and debated philosophy or poetry. Though only a fragment survives, it evokes the refined craftsmanship of Attic workshops, where potters and painters collaborated to create vessels that doubled as storytelling canvases. Made from fired clay (terracotta), the piece reflects the technical m...